ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/esg-investing-setting-standards-conducting-analysis

Introduction

### Course Review: ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis on Coursera In today's evolving investment landscape, understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria is becoming increasingly vital for investors, companies, and financial professionals alike. The Coursera course titled "ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis" provides a comprehensive overview aimed at honing your understanding of ESG principles and their practical applications in investment decision-making. #### Course Overview The course begins by laying the groundwork for ESG, tracing its roots back to socially responsible investing (SRI). Students will explore the historical events and initiatives, such as the Community Reinvestment Act and the UN’s landmark reports, that have shaped the current ESG investing framework. Through a blend of video lectures, webinars, and reading materials, participants will unlock the foundational concepts of ESG, empowering them to navigate this complex field with confidence. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **ESG's Origins & Evolution** - This module delves deep into how environmental, social, and governance issues have come to mold financial markets. It succinctly presents the historical context of ESG, illustrating its rise from SRI practices and highlighting pivotal milestones that led to the integration of ESG factors in the investment community. 2. **ESG Investing: Industry Insights – Gabelli Funds (Parts 1-3)** - These webinars focus on the various objectives of ESG investing. Students will learn about its potential to influence corporate behavior and manage risks. The discussion also covers key sustainability themes that are crucial for future investment opportunities, fostering a deeper understanding of pressing global challenges. 3. **ESG Investing: Industry Insights – Gabelli Funds (Parts 4-6)** - In this continuation, portfolio manager Chris Marangi answers participant questions about climate change and other pressing issues. The insights provided in this segment help demystify complex concepts such as nuclear power investment and supply chain considerations. 4. **ESG Investing: Industry Insights – Gabelli Funds (Parts 7-9)** - The final parts of this series maintain the Q&A format, diving into regulations, investment screening processes, and corporate accountability. This hands-on approach promotes active engagement with the material, enhancing the learning experience. 5. **ESG Fundamental Analysis** - Students will learn how to interpret ESG issues as potential risks affecting a company’s financial health. This module aims to equip participants with tools to conduct due diligence and investment analysis, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application. 6. **Reading Reinforcements** - To supplement video learning, the reading materials reinforce critical concepts and findings related to ESG investing, ensuring participants can articulate the relationship between ESG factors and financial performance. #### Why You Should Consider This Course - **Comprehensive Framework**: The course presents a holistic view of ESG investing, from its origins to its current impact on financial markets. Those seeking to understand or enter this field will find it invaluable. - **Expert Insights**: The series offers real-world insights from industry professionals, providing a nuanced perspective that theoretical knowledge alone cannot deliver. - **Practical Application**: By focusing on fundamental analysis and due diligence, participants will be well-prepared to apply the lessons learned in real-world investment scenarios. - **Flexible Learning**: Offered on Coursera, the course provides a flexible learning environment that fits into various schedules, along with the ability to learn at your own pace. #### Final Recommendation If you are an investor, financial analyst, or simply someone keen to understand the evolving field of sustainable finance, "ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis" is a course that should not be overlooked. It stands out as a resource that blends theory with practical insights, equipping participants with the essential knowledge to navigate the complex dimensions of ESG investing successfully. Jump in, and enrich your portfolio of skills and knowledge in this critical area of finance!

Syllabus

ESG's Origins & Evolution

How have environmental, social, and governance issues come to influence the financial markets and investors’ decision-making? In this introductory module, you will learn how ESG was derived from socially responsible investing (SRI) practices through some examples of its impacts in the 20th century, including the establishment of the Community Reinvestment Act and the formation of the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. Building on these events, the UN published pivotal reports that led to the integration of ESG factors in the financial markets, spurring a flurry of related, supporting initiatives such as the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), the International Integrated Reporting Council, and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), among others.

The further we progress in this specialization, the more you may spot certain unresolved issues within the ESG investing framework, beginning, perhaps, with how ESG investing itself is defined. The following webinar, “Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG): The Three Hottest Words in Investing”, presented by Gabelli Funds, will further explore the meaning of ESG investing through some of its objectives, including altering corporate behavior by influencing the cost of capital, mitigating idiosyncratic risks, and identifying investment opportunities in areas such as geological and social change. Among other topics, the presentation will also dive into some sustainability themes, including energy, water and waste management, as well as addresses why ESG investing remains a work in progress, and offers insights into some developments market participants may anticipate.

The “Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG): The Three Hottest Words in Investing” webinar continues with Chris Marangi, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, responding to participants questions. In this Q&A series, Marangi addresses climate change, and supply chains, then offers insights into nuclear power, integrated oil companies, and performing due diligence. He also addresses ESG and related volatility concerns. Please keep in mind that we may explore some of these topics more in depth later in the specialization.

The “Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG): The Three Hottest Words in Investing” webinar continues with Chris Marangi, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, responding to participants questions. In this Q&A series, Marangi addresses regulation, negative and positive screening, and fund management. He then offers insights into energy-related environmental impacts, and corporate accountability. Please keep in mind that we may explore some of these topics more in depth later in the specialization.

You can generally consider environmental, social and governance issues as risks to a company’s financial performance, and a further means of conducting due diligence when making investment decisions, alongside other critical factors that may affect your returns, such as revenues, cash flows, creditworthiness, and operational performance. In this module, we will address the factors that underlie the “E”, “S” and “G” in ESG, as well as explore some relevant strategies for making investments in the green asset sphere.

This Reading Reinforcement module is intended to arm you with information that has been pivotal to the inception of ESG investing, enabling you to conduct critical analyses about its origin and evolution. Following completion, among other objectives, you will be able to explain the meanings of different sustainability-related terms, as well as describe different findings concerning the relationship between ESG and financial performance.